Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 175 Preparing to Climb the Tower (Please Subscribe, Dear Readers)

Looking at the No. 2 ecological base so close at hand.

Hongkou waved to the group of young hunters, most of whom had chosen to stay.

"Don't just stand there, come with me."

Filled with intense curiosity and anticipation, the young hunters, along with Hongkou and several accompanying Awakeners, entered the magnificent metal gate of Ecological Base No. 2.

Hongkou walked along a wide, brightly lit passageway toward the agricultural area of ​​the base.

When the heavy isolation door slid open, a warm Qixi Festival scent mixed with the fragrance of earth and plants rushed in, and all the hunters froze on the spot, their eyes wide open.

The sunlight overhead is simulated by artificial light sources.

Beneath their feet were neatly divided ridges, with lush green crops growing vigorously, including various vegetables and fruits they had only seen in old-world images.

Further away, in an area enclosed by a fence, plump livestock were strolling leisurely, emitting satisfied hums.

“This…this is…” a young hunter stammered, barely able to utter a complete sentence.

"Farmland! And...livestock?!" another person exclaimed in surprise, rubbing his eyes hard, wondering if he was hallucinating.

In the lighthouse, all food depends on the extremely rare and precious produce from the aerial farms, as well as the mostly unexpired Old World canned goods that hunters desperately scavenge from the ruins on the ground.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are luxuries that only the city lord and a very few high-ranking officials can enjoy, and meat is something that is legendary.

They had never seen such a bountiful sight before.
This was not at all the ground they knew as a place of death and ruins.

“That’s right.” Hongkou smiled as she looked at their shocked expressions. “This is one of the agricultural areas of the ecological base. It has achieved stable planting of some crops and small-scale livestock breeding. As for food, although it can’t be said that the variety is extremely rich, at least no one here needs to go hungry.”

She walked to the edge of a tomato field, picked a ripe, bright red tomato, wiped it with her hand, and handed it to the young man who was standing closest to her, who was staring in disbelief.

"Try it? It tastes different from the food we ate at the lighthouse."

The young hunter accepted it with a flattered expression and took a careful bite.

The juicy burst of flavor exploded in his mouth, and the sweet and sour taste instantly won over his taste buds.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded excitedly, saying indistinctly, "So...delicious! It's so delicious!"

Seeing this, the other hunters couldn't help but swallow hard, their eyes burning with desire as they gazed at the abundant harvest.

Hongkou smiled and nodded to the staff member in charge of managing this area.

The staff understood and immediately brought a basket of freshly picked and washed fruit, distributing it to the new guests.

The hunters were initially a little reserved, but after tasting the delicious flavors of nature, their last bit of restraint vanished.

They devoured their food, their faces beaming with satisfaction and happiness.

"So... the ground can be like this..."

A young girl was munching on a cucumber, muttering to herself, her eyes slightly moist.

Another young man excitedly said to Hongkou, "Captain Hongkou! This place is wonderful! Can we really stay? Can we learn to farm, and raise these... these animals?"

“Of course.” Hongkou nodded firmly.

“Everyone in the village needs to contribute their strength. Whether it's fighting, production, or research, there is a place for you. As long as you are willing to learn and willing to do, this is your home.”

These words, like warm sunshine, completely illuminated the hearts of these young people who had been shrouded in the gloom of the Lighthouse's laws.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with hope for the future.

After visiting the agricultural area, Hongkou led them on a tour of the base's water recycling system and some living areas.

Every place they saw reinforced their resolve to stay and completely shattered the lie that the lighthouse had instilled in them that "the ground is hell."

Just as they were passing through a wide passageway connecting different functional areas, the eyes of several hunters were drawn to a large storage area on one side of the passageway.

There were rows of standardized shipping containers neatly stacked there, their bodies brand new.

What's even more striking is that some of the containers have text and logos clearly printed on their side walls.

[Jiuchuan City Food Co., Ltd.], [XX Group Grain and Oil Products], [Hella Empire Standard Box]... These are the words and logos.

It was completely different from the rusty, damaged containers they saw in the ruins.

They were so new, as if they had just come off the production line.

One of the hunters couldn't help but point at the containers and ask in surprise, "Captain Red Hair, these... these boxes look so new. The writing on them... were they found in some ruins on the ground? They're so well preserved?"

His companions around him nodded in agreement, their faces filled with confusion.

Their experience in searching for supplies told them that things left over from the old world, after being weathered by wind and rain and ecological erosion, could never remain in such a pristine state.

Hongkou looked in the direction they pointed, her gaze falling on the containers marked "Kuchuan City".

Hongkou smiled and said, "These are... special supplies. Their source is rather unusual; you'll find out about them gradually."

Hongkou didn't give them any more time to guess. She clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back.

"Alright, stop staring at the boxes. There will be plenty of time to learn about them later. Come on, let me show you the accommodations, the places you might stay in the future."

She took the lead and walked ahead, and the young hunters suppressed their doubts and quickly followed her.

……

……

While Hongkou led the young hunters to immerse themselves in the No. 2 ecological base, Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui remained in the previous rest area.

Looking at the peaceful village scene outside the window, Bai Yuekui suddenly said, "Those four people were just taken to the Second Village by Po Xiao."

Yang Chen nodded, seemingly unsurprised: "Yes, Honglu will handle it."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, his communicator vibrated slightly.

ASH's voice rang out calmly: "Yang Chen, Honglu has already performed the life essence storage on Luo Ke and the other two in Village No. 2. The life essence has been stored in the soul storage place, and the remaining one has been placed in the residential area."

Yang Chen remained silent for a moment, his face still calm, and simply gave a faint "hmm" to indicate that he understood.

Bai Yuekui turned to look at him: "It seems that there were more people involved in the cleanup at the lighthouse back then than we thought."

“This is unavoidable,” Yang Chen said calmly. “Honglu knows what she’s doing. Let them handle it themselves.”

Not everyone can forgive someone who killed them, especially because of the so-called Three Laws.

It's impossible for the city's garrison soldiers and civilians who were killed to sit down and make dumplings with the people who killed them.

The difference between "sacrificing a minority" and "eliminating dissidents" is often just a step.

Protecting the people and the opposition that tries to expose the truth have become "destabilizing factors" that must be eliminated. At this point, the rule is no longer for survival, but for maintaining the unity of power and thought.

Yang Chen said, "Just store the life essence away."

He glanced at the time and estimated that it would be a while before Hongkou and the others returned after their tour of the ecological base.

“Let’s go.” He turned to Bai Yuekui and said, “Let’s take advantage of this free time and go see what those two little guys, Xiao Kui and Mai Duo, are playing.”

Bai Yuekui nodded slightly, and the two walked side by side toward the area in the center of the village where the children often played.

On the way, Yang Chen recalled his earlier decision and turned to ask, "After Hong Kou and the others return and settle things here, I'm going to take those hunters who are willing to go back and relay the message to the lighthouse. Do you want to come with me?"

Bai Yuekui didn't stop walking. He calmly looked ahead and gently shook his head: "I won't go."

She paused for a moment: "If I were to appear at the lighthouse now, I'm afraid I'd scare them half to death."

Yang Chen couldn't help but chuckle: "That's true. Okay, I'll go talk to them this time. You just wait for news at home."

Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui hadn't gone far when they found the two little ones under the old locust tree in the center of the village.

Maiduo was proudly raising her arm, and the magnificent eagle was firmly perched on her forearm brace, curiously examining the little Yuekui in front of her.

Little Yuekui wanted to touch it but was a little scared. She cautiously reached out her little hand and gently touched the smooth feathers of the falcon.

Instead of dodging, the falcon tilted its head slightly and rubbed against her fingertips.

Bai Yuetian lay dead on a stone bench nearby, looking completely drained.

He caught a glimpse of Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui approaching out of the corner of his eye, and weakly called out in the direction of Xiao Yuekui.

"Little Kui... don't just look at the birds... Orange's magic is even more amazing, he can transform into small animals! Let him transform one for you!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuekui was immediately drawn to the scene. Forgetting all about studying the falcon, she turned and ran to Yang Chen's side, gently tugging at his clothes with her little hand.

"Yang Chen, really? Can you conjure up little rabbits? Or... or something else?"

Maido looked over curiously, and even the falcon on her arm turned its head.

Yang Chen chuckled, glaring at Bai Yuetian, who was slacking off and causing trouble for him. He looked down at Xiao Yuekui's hopeful eyes, then glanced at the faint smile on Bai Yuekui's lips.

“Alright, alright,” he crouched down, “You want to see the little rabbit, right?”

He casually picked up a small pebble from the ground.

A faint light flashed in his palm, and the small pebble rapidly changed shape within a blue halo.

In the blink of an eye, a curled-up white rabbit appeared in his hand.

It looked exactly like a real rabbit, with even its whiskers clearly visible, but it remained motionless, its eyes vacant, and there was no fluctuation in its breathing.

"Here you go." Yang Chen handed the rabbit to Xiao Yuekui.

Xiao Yuekui carefully took it and examined it closely in her hands.

She gently poked the rabbit's soft belly with her finger; the touch felt very real, but it still didn't react at all.

"Why...why isn't it moving?" Little Moon Clan looked up and asked in confusion.

"Because it wasn't alive to begin with," Yang Chen explained patiently. "I just turned a stone into the shape of a rabbit."

Xiao Yuekui nodded as if she understood, but a question naturally popped into her head as she recalled the animal anatomy diagrams she had seen in a book.

"So... if we cut it open, what would it look like inside? Would it look like a stone, or a rabbit?"

Upon hearing this question, Bai Yuekui, who had been watching quietly, twitched his eyebrows slightly.

Yang Chen glanced at Bai Yuekui beside him: "Your question... is exactly the same as the one Yuekui asked back then."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuekui glanced at Yang Chen indifferently, without denying it.

Yang Chen turned back and continued explaining to Xiao Yuekui, "It's something without life, just a change in form. If it's damaged, for example..."

He reached out and gently pinched the rabbit's head, creating a clear crack. But what was revealed beneath the crack was not flesh or bone, but the grayish-white color of stone.

"In this way, it will slowly return to its original state."

As he spoke, a faint light began to emanate from around the crack, and the rabbit's form began to become unstable.

The rabbit lying in Xiaoyuekui's palm turned back into that ordinary little pebble.

Little Moon Kui looked at the stone in her palm, blinked her big eyes. Although she was a little disappointed that the rabbit was gone, she was more curious about this magical change.

Maido was also stunned, muttering, "Amazing... it can even turn back..."

Bai Yuetian egged him on from the sidelines: "Hey, Xiao Kui, how about we make him transform into something that can move?"

Xiao Yuekui became even more interested upon hearing this, and grabbed Yang Chen's hand to have him demonstrate.

Yang Chen naturally refused. There were still people around, and it would be very embarrassing for him to turn into a small animal.

But he couldn't resist Xiaoyue Kui's repeated requests.

There was no other way but to use "White Moon Sky" as an example.

……

……

Meanwhile, at the lighthouse, the communications command center.

The operator responsible for monitoring ground communications was constantly adjusting the channel, trying to separate any valuable signals from that familiar interference noise.

Suddenly, a channel was forcibly switched to the main communication line.

The operator sat up abruptly, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. It seemed the hunters had finally made contact.
But then, a completely unfamiliar voice echoed clearly through the communications department via the internal speakers.

"I am from the human settlement of Dragonbone Village on the ground. We are now establishing a preliminary communication connection with you."

The entire communications department fell silent instantly, and all the staff stopped what they were doing.

ASH continues his steady narration, but the content is like a bombshell.

"We have made contact with the Scavenger team dispatched to the ground by the Lighthouse. Currently, apart from the members who voluntarily remain at our base for further information, the rest of the Scavengers are safe. It is expected that our leader will lead a group of Scavengers to the Lighthouse before this evening to meet with Lord Morgan of the Lighthouse to discuss matters such as the future of survivors, resource sharing, and the possibility of cooperation. Please be prepared for the meeting."

A deathly silence lasted for several seconds in the communications department, before erupting into gasps and commotion.

"Surface...surface forces? There are really humans on the surface!?"

"They captured Commander Rock and his men?"

"You're coming to the lighthouse again?!"

The communications department staff were in a panic, trying to locate the source of the signal, only to find that the communication channel was completely locked, and the other party's voice was still repeating the same words.

"Quickly! Report to the city lord immediately!" The staff member practically shouted as he ran towards the city lord's hall.

Inside the city lord's hall.

Morgan listened with a furrowed brow as he received a briefing on the distribution of supplies and the recent situation in the Dust Village.

Suddenly, the heavy metal door to the hall was flung open, and the communications staff practically tumbled in, shouting in trembling voices.

"Lord! Lord City Lord! The...the ground! There's a communication connection on the ground!"

Morgan and Victor's eyes immediately fell on the intruder.

"What's the panic!" Victor shouted sharply. "Explain yourself! Are you Rock and his men?"

"No...no!" The communications staff member gasped for breath.

“She’s from the ground. She says she represents a ground faction called Dragonbone Village! They… have already contacted our hunters. Some hunters have volunteered to stay, and their leader will… will come to the Lighthouse tonight to meet with you alone!”

"The leader of the ground forces... wants to come to the Lighthouse alone?" Victor subconsciously looked at Morgan.

Morgan looked at the communications officer and asked, "Did they say anything else?"

"No, the other person repeated it three times and then stopped talking."

Morgan sat high in his chair and looked at the communications officer: "Play back the received communications verbatim."

"Yes...yes! Lord City Lord!" The communications officer quickly operated the portable recorder he was carrying.

Soon, ASH's steady voice echoed in the empty city lord's hall.

"This is Dragonbone Village, a human settlement on the surface. We are here now."

The sound echoed in the hall.

Victor's expression turned serious. Ground forces... not only exist, but are they so powerful?

Instead of making a request, they directly announced their impending visit? They even detained some of the hunters?
He didn't believe a word of that claim—that they stayed voluntarily.

After the broadcast ended, an even deeper silence fell over the hall.

The communications officer dared not breathe, keeping his head down as he awaited instructions.

Morgan slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

talks……

Come alone.
Could the local forces in Dragon Bone Village really be related to that white-haired woman from back then?

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Victor couldn't help but ask for a solution.

Finally, Morgan opened his eyes again.

"Notify all department heads of an emergency meeting."

"I order the city defense troops to strengthen the security of all entrances to the lighthouse and the elevator platform area. Without my order, they are not allowed to act or fire."

“In addition…” he paused, his eyes filled with complex emotions, “…prepare to welcome our ‘guests’.”

I hope it's not that white-haired woman who comes, if she's still alive.

Victor solemnly replied, "Yes, Lord City Lord!"

He immediately turned around and quickly left to make arrangements.

Morgan sat alone in the empty hall, his gaze once again fixed on the boundless sky outside the observation window.

That force not only exists on the ground, but is also capable of fighting against well-equipped hunter teams.

Tonight, the opposing leader will set foot on the lighthouse.

(End of this chapter)